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What country's population ranks high on body mass index? - Answers


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What country’s population ranks high on body mass index?

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World map showing country's ranks on BMI

The Body Mass Index is an important indicator which measures the overall health of the person. The body mass index can be defined as the measure of body fat based on weight and height. The body mass index is applicable for both men and women. Both high and low body mass index is detrimental for the health of a person. A high body mass indicates that the person is obese, while a low body mass means that he or she is underweight or malnourished. Thus it is imperative that proper care is taken to ensure that the body mass index is normal, which means that the person is healthy.

It is commonly accepted that people who have a body mass index of 25 kg/m² and above are overweight, while those with 30 kg/m² and above are considered to be obese. Meanwhile, people at the other end of the spectrum, i.e. below 18 kg/m² are considered underweight. People who have a body mass index between 18.5 to 25, are normally considered to be healthy. However, there is still some debate as to where the dividing lines should be placed.

Nauru is the most obese country in the world. According to a World Health Organization data, in 2014, the body mass index in the nation stood at 32.5 kg/m², the highest among all nations mentioned on the list. Coming at the second spot were Cook Islands and Niue which both had a Body Mass Index of 32.3 kg/m². Some other nations where the body mass index was an upward of 28 kg/m² were Egypt, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and a few other countries.

In nations such as Greece, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Oman, Grenada, Tunisia, Russia, Mongolia, Italy, Germany and some other nations the body mass index ranged between 26 and 28. Meanwhile people were slightly better off in countries such as Iceland, Serbia, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, South Sudan, Namibia, Denmark etc. Here the body mass index ranged between 24 and 26.


Some countries with body mass index ranging between 22 and 24 were Japan, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, Bhutan, Indonesia etc. Meanwhile countries that stood at the bottom of the scale and had a body mass index of less than 22 were India, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and a few other nations.

Get to know what is the body mass index in your country by referring to the table below:

Countries BMI (kg/m²)
Nauru 32.5
Cook Islands 32.3
Niue 32.3
Tonga 31.9
Samoa 31.7
Kuwait 30
Saint Kitts and Nevis 29.7
Kiribati 29.6
Saint Lucia 29.6
Micronesia (Federated States of) 29.4
Palau 29.4
Tuvalu 29.3
Egypt 29.2
Marshall Islands 29.2
Qatar 29.2
United Arab Emirates 29
Belize 28.9
Jordan 28.9
Bahamas 28.8
United States of America 28.8
Barbados 28.7
Trinidad and Tobago 28.7
Saudi Arabia 28.5
Antigua and Barbuda 28.4
Libya 28.4
Bahrain 28.2
Mexico 28.1
Syrian Arab Republic 28.1
Iraq 28
New Zealand 27.9
Chile 27.8
Lebanon 27.8
Turkey 27.8
Argentina 27.7
Andorra 27.5
Ireland 27.5
Azerbaijan 27.4
El Salvador 27.4
Jamaica 27.4
Kazakhstan 27.4
Suriname 27.4
Greece 27.3
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 27.3
South Africa 27.3
United Kingdom 27.3
Australia 27.2
Canada 27.2
Fiji 27.2
Georgia 27.2
Malta 27.2
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 27.2
Panama 27.1
Cyprus 27
Dominica 27
Ecuador 27
Grenada 27
Costa Rica 26.9
Czech Republic 26.9
Nicaragua 26.9
Oman 26.9
Slovenia 26.9
Seychelles 26.8
Tunisia 26.8
Uruguay 26.8
Armenia 26.7
Dominican Republic 26.7
Republic of Moldova 26.7
Spain 26.7
Belarus 26.6
Lithuania 26.6
Guatemala 26.5
Luxembourg 26.5
Russian Federation 26.5
Slovakia 26.5
Swaziland 26.5
Honduras 26.4
Poland 26.4
Turkmenistan 26.4
Germany 26.3
Guyana 26.3
Hungary 26.3
Israel 26.3
Peru 26.3
Algeria 26.2
Brunei Darussalam 26.2
Cuba 26.2
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 26.2
Kyrgyzstan 26.2
Portugal 26.2
Vanuatu 26.2
Albania 26.1
Bosnia and Herzegovina 26.1
Uzbekistan 26.1
Bulgaria 26
Italy 26
Mongolia 26
Montenegro 26
Norway 26
Ukraine 26
Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 25.9
Brazil 25.9
Colombia 25.9
Finland 25.9
Iceland 25.9
Latvia 25.8
Paraguay 25.8
Serbia 25.8
Sweden 25.8
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 25.8
Yemen 25.8
Equatorial Guinea 25.6
Mauritius 25.6
Morocco 25.6
Belgium 25.5
Croatia 25.5
Estonia 25.5
Gabon 25.5
Solomon Islands 25.5
Austria 25.4
Netherlands 25.4
Tajikistan 25.4
Denmark 25.3
France 25.3
Malaysia 25.3
Papua New Guinea 25.3
Romania 25.3
Switzerland 25.3
South Sudan 25.2
Sudan 25.2
Maldives 25.1
Lesotho 24.9
Mauritania 24.8
Sao Tome and Principe 24.8
Botswana 24.7
Cabo Verde 24.7
Cameroon 24.4
Namibia 24.3
Ghana 24.2
Angola 24.1
Comoros 24.1
Haiti 24.1
Thailand 24.1
Gambia 24
Liberia 24
China 23.9
Republic of Korea 23.9
Bhutan 23.8
Pakistan 23.8
Singapore 23.7
Côte d’Ivoire 23.6
Benin 23.4
Nigeria 23.4
Zimbabwe 23.4
Congo 23.3
Djibouti 23.3
Philippines 23.2
Togo 23.2
Guinea-Bissau 23.1
United Republic of Tanzania 23.1
Kenya 23
Senegal 23
Sri Lanka 23
Indonesia 22.9
Malawi 22.8
Mali 22.8
Sierra Leone 22.8
Guinea 22.7
Japan 22.6
Lao People’s Democratic Republic 22.6
Myanmar 22.6
Zambia 22.6
Central African Republic 22.4
Chad 22.3
Mozambique 22.3
Democratic Republic of the Congo 22.2
Nepal 22.2
Burkina Faso 22.1
Rwanda 22
Uganda 22
Cambodia 21.9
India 21.9
Somalia 21.9
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 21.8
Niger 21.7
Afghanistan 21.6
Vietnam 21.6
Timor-Leste 21.2
Madagascar 21.1
Bangladesh 21
Burundi 20.9
Ethiopia 20.6
Eritrea 20.5

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